With very few exceptions, Rockstar titles follow a central ethos: they’re giant open-worlds full of meticulous detail, intricate storytelling, and a tone that alternates between exaggerated satire and true-to-life simulation. While L.A. Noire shares many of those qualities, it’s still significantly different compared to the rest of Rockstar’s portfolio. Rather than a freeform and chaotic depiction of a fictional America, it’s instead a guided and simulative take on 1940s Los Angeles. Instead of the criminal on the run, you’re the police officer enforcing the law. Rather than crashing cars and going on RPG-fueled rampages, you’re spending time talking to people and looking them in the eye to see if they’re lying.
A lot of that can be attributed to Team Bondi, the studio behind L.A. Noire — which in itself is an unusual case, because it’s an independent studio. Previous Rockstar titles have come from studios that have all been well-integrated within Rockstar Games, while Team Bondi (made up of developers from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe subsidiary Team SOHO) remains on the outside. We chatted with Team Bondi founder Brendan McNamara about L.A. Noire’s long journey, the shift from being a Sony Computer Entertainment game to a Rockstar game, and the unusual experience of being an independent studio deeply collaborating with a publisher/developer like Rockstar.
